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  • From: Jwlehman@aol.com
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [nafex] Scoring
  • Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 07:20:15 -0400 (EDT)

Hello Karen, etl.

This article was published in Pomona about 1993. To induce fruiting the cut
would be made below the branch. See diagram #2 below. I've sent this
before as an attachment but ibibilo blocked the attachment and blocked me
from
sending any messages thereafter. Our administrator has me turned on again.

USING CUTS TO INFLUENCE FRUIT
TREES
Jerry Lehman, 7780 Persimmon St. Terre Haute, IN 47802-4994

One of the places visited while on the 1991 NAFEX trip to Russia was the
botanical gardens at Kiev. There we saw a lot of work being done with form
gardening or espalier. Dr. Ivan M. Shaitan took us through the gardens and
explained what we were seeing. He gave us copies of a book he had written
titled, Beautiful Gardens that Bear. Professor Elena Merenova Who teaches the

Russian language at a local college contributed by doing the direct
translation. Elena is an educator not a horticulturist, which made
translating
this subject matter challenging for us. If there is sufficient interest
within
NAFEX members we would be willing to translate more of Dr. Shaitan's book.


Dr. Shaitan wrote: In form gardening we often need to fill empty space in
the tree being formed. The following methods can be used.

CROSSWISE CUTS are made above the buds in order to increase their
vegetative growth. Cut a strip of bark (3-4 mm) with the wood. If the cut is
done
under the bud it will prevent it from forming a vegetative shoot. A cut
under a strong branch will weaken its growth. We recommend to make the cuts
at
the end of March or at the beginning of April. [Kiev is at about the same
latitude as Regina, Saskatchewan, with a slightly more moderate climate
according to my atlas--GW, Pomona Editor]

GROOVlNG CUTS
can be used to increase the growth in thickness of trunk and skeleton
branches. Make longitudinal cuts with the help of an orchard knife, also
remove
some sap-wood with the bark. On the place of the cut, new tissues will
appear and this part will become thicker. This type of cutting is made in a
faltering line.
Grooving cuts could be used also to treat wounds, tumor growths or
mechanical damage of the bark. In such cases the cuts are made approximately
10 cm
(4 inches) above the wounds and end below the wound.
Grooving cuts should be done in the beginning of the vegetative period
from the northem (shadow) side of the tree. Do not use this method on the old

trees with broken bark, which grow slowly.

CIRCULAR CUTS of the bark are recommended for strong growing branches in
order to turn them into fruiting limbs. The accumulation of plastic
substances [sugars?] (assimilants) results in the forming of flower, buds,
In case
of the presence of pollinated flowers the fruits become bigger and are
ripened earlier. Circular cuts are also used in the formation of palmates on
strong central bearers which have overgrown the height of the formation of
the
next layer.

With the help of the orchard knife or special secateurs which can take a
part of the wood along with the bark, remove the bark (4-8 mm wide [0.25
inch, more or less]) in the form of a circle or spiral cut. This operation
is
usually done in Mayor in 20 to 30 days after total blossoming of the trees
to favor the making of flower buds. The wounds from circular cuts heal up
(close) in one to two years. To improve this process you can cover them with
grafting wax.


JPEG image




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